Your Child's Asthma: Flare-ups

What happens during a flare-up?

Children with asthma have severe episodes or flare-ups when the air passages in their lungs become narrower and breathing becomes more difficult. Sensitive airways react to certain things, called triggers. Triggers can cause:

The lining of the airways (bronchial tubes) to become more inflamed and swollen

Tightening of the muscles that surround the airways

Increased mucus production

Decreased air movement through the lungs

Normal Airway

Asthma

Flare Up

Your child may have the following symptoms of a flare-up:

It may become harder to breathe.

Chest tightness.

Coughing.

Wheezing or whistling when breathing out. He or she may not have wheezing with very severe flare-ups.

Symptoms that wake your child or keep them from sleeping.

Trouble walking or talking.

Make sure you know what to do if your child's symptoms worsen. If your child does not get treatment immediately during a flare-up, he or she could stop breathing, or even die.